Platen for writing-machines.



0. TH|.EME. P'LATEMQR wnmwe MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DC.2'8, 19H.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- 0. THIEME. PLATEN FOR WRITING MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED DEC-2B. 19H.

Patented Eda-8,191.6.

iwmzm (2m Thmm,

UNITE %TT% a rnin' anion.

OTTO THIEME, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO MOON-HOPKINS BILLINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 11916.

Application filed December 28, 1911. Serial No. 668,255;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'rro THIEME, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Platens for Writing-Machines, of which the following is aa full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which I Figure l is a perspective view of my improvedplaten for writing machines in position on a combined adding andtypewriting machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through theplaten and its, associated parts. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the operatingmeans for one section of the platen. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview through the platen. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on line 55 ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional View through the supporting bracket forthe roll of paper.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in platens forwriting machines particularly that type wherein the typewritingmechanism is combined with the adding mechanism, the object of mypresent invention being, to provide a sectional platen whereby thecomputations of the adding ma- 4 chine may be recorded on a separatestrip the machine into a plurality of sections inof paper other thanthat on which the typewritten words are recorded. In this manner it ispossible to carry on separate computations, certain of which are inconnection with typewritten words and others of which are independentthereof, so thatthe operator may be kept advised of the differentcomputations.

To carry out my invention in its most approved form, I have divided theplaten of dependently rotatable whereby one section may be employed inthe usual way in connection with the typewriting mechanism and therecording mechanism of the adding machine, while the other section isdesigned to be used exclusively with the recording mechanism oftheadding machine, although it will be understood that words may betypewritten thereon, if desired.

One section, that identified with the typewriting mechanism, ispreferably longer than the other so as to take in an ordinary lettersheet of paper and is manually rotated step by step in line spacingoperations, or by mechanism which is well known. The other, or shortersection, is preferably independently rotated by mechanism identifiedwith the adding machine so that when the laterally movable carriagecontaining the platen is in certain positions, this short section willbe placed under control of the adding machine so far as its line spacingoperations are concerned. In another position of the carriage the shortsectionremains inactive, although permitting manual operation of theother, or longer section; WVhen the other or longer section is operated,the short section remains stationary. The operator in this manner maycarry on computations on the web or strip of paper passing under theshort section which is automatically line spaced and the adding machineoperated without disturbing the positions of the letter'sheet on thelonger section and afterward the results of such computation may beprinted on the letter sheet or transcribed thereon'as the case may be.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the top plate of a typewriting machine, and2, the post which supports the same.

3-, are track rails on which is slidingly mounted the traveling carriageof which 4: is an end plate and-5 the bars or rods connecting said endplate to an end plate at the other end of the carriage.

6 is the paper shield and 7, the manually operable platen having theusual handwheel, not shown, at its right hand end to which is conjoinedthe spacing ratchet 8. The tapered rod.9 codperates with locking ,balls10 whereby when said rod 9 is pulled outwardly by means of its handle 11located at the lefthand'end of the platen, the platen 7 is released fromits line spacing ratchet and can be rotatably adjusted to any desiredposition.

I do not in this application claim the construction of this releasingmechanism as the same forms the subject matter of U. S. Pat entNo.985,713 granted to me February the 28th, 1911.

The left hand portion of the platen 7 is preferably reduced so as toprovide a mounting for the short section of the platen 12, the outer endof which is mounted upon a head piece 13 which is arranged upon a sleeve14: loosely mounted on the rod 9. On this sleeve 14 is secured aratchetwheel 15 said ratchet wheel cooperating with a line spacing pawl 16 (seeFig. 2) pivotally suspended from a lever 17, pivotally mounted in one ofthe frame plates 1. lhis lever 17 at its rear end provides a mount for arod 18 which is carried by arms 19 extending from a. shaft 20 mounted inbearings 21 secured to one of the notched bars 22- of the traveling car-1 riagev The inner end of the bar 18 is tapered to form an enteringpoint 18 which is designed to enter between lug extensions 23 on one endof the lei'er 24: which lever is pivoted on an extension of the topplate 1. 25 indicates an operating bar or link connected to the lever2-1 and which has a notch near its lower end designed to engage alateral projection 26 on a vibrating rod 27 operated from the addingmechanism in an up and down reciprocating movement. A spring 28 isconnected to the lower end of this link so as to hold the same in meshwith the projection 26. A disk 29 provided with a crank pin 30 operatesin a slot 25" in 25 the link 25 so that said link may be thrown into andout of engagement with the projection 26. A rod provided with a handle31 extends to the side of the machine and is connected to the disk 29for rotating the 30' same so as to-engage or disengage the link 25 fromsaid lateral projection. In this manner, when the link 25 is connectedto the vibrating rod 27, each operation of the adding machine operatesthe line spacing mecha- 35 nism 'of the sectional platen 12by virtue oftheir connection through the rod 27 and link 25. When the link 25 isdisconnected from the vibratingbar 27, the operation of the addingmechanism will of course not operate 40 the line spacing mechanism. So,likewise when the carriage is moved leftward to such position that thebar, 18 is out of engagement with the lugs 23 or lever 24, the linespacing mechanism will not be operated. 32 indicates the bracket mountedupon a notched bar 33 for supporting a roll of paper which paper isintended to operate with the short section 12 of the platen. Thisbracket is preferably made of pressed metal and has its ends bentdownwardly and formed with hooked extensions 34 which are designed toengage the front edge of the bar 33. The shoulders 35 engage the rearedge of bar 33 and in this manner as the weight of the roll of papertends to tilt the bracket rearwardly, the bracket will remain inposition. I prefer, however, to lock the bracket to the bar 33 andtherefore provide a hooked lever 36 which engages the rear edge of thenotched bar 33 preferably between two teeth, the said lever being heldin its locking position by means of a spring 37. This lever 36 engagesthe-bracket 32 at its forward upper edge, said lever being preferablymounted upon a rod 38, upon one end of which is an operating handle 39,whereby, when it is desired to release the bracket, the handle 39 isswung forwardly to disengage the lever 36 and the bracket tiltedforwardly, when it can be removed. 7o-

Bracket 32 extends rearwardly and is provided with post extensions 32preferably slotted atvtheir upper ends to receive the axle of the rollof paper.

It is apparent from the above description that the section 7 of theplaten may be operated manually from the hand-wheel at each end thereof,the hand-wheel 11 being capable of being moved outwardly so as to adjustthe platen to any rotatable position so between the line spaces, and,that when the section 7 of the platen is being rotated in this manner,the section 12 remains sta tionary. r

The short section 12 of the platen is rotated one line space at eachoperation of the adding mechanism, such' rotation being independent ofthe section 7, which remains stationary during the time that the section12 is being operated. in this manner. When the carriage is movedleftwardly to disengage the rod 18 from the lever 24, it is obvious thatthe section 12 can not be rotated except by hand, such manual rotationof sec-1 tion 12 being accomplished by means of a hand wheel 10 on theouter end of sleeve 14.-.

When the section 12 is under mechanical control of the adding mechanism(when the carriage is at the extreme right hand position) the linespacing mechanism may be rendered operative or inoperative by means ofthe handle 31 and the mechanism which it controls as heretoforedescribed.

I do not claim in'this application the -1neans for rendering the linespacing mechanism of the section 12 operative or inoperative at the willof the operator, as the same is disclosed in an application filed byHubert Hopkins on April 10, 1911, Serial No. 620,184..

In order to enable the operator to lift the platen so as to see thewriting on the paper, I prefer to mount the platen in a SUPPIQk mentalframe 1* from which extends a handle 1 designed to be grasped by theoperator. This supplemental frame is pivotally mounted on a rod 1 bymeans of links one of which is shown in do ted lines in Fig. 2.

i What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of alaterally-movable carriage, a manually operable platen, a second platenon said carriage and operable independently of the first mentionedplaten, line-spacing mechanism for said second platen, said line spacingmechanism including a bar extending parallel to said platen, said barbeing provided with a pointed advancing end, and means capable ofoperating the line-spacing mechanism for said sec- 0nd platen when saidlaterally-movable carriageis within a predetermined zone of its travel.

2. In a machine of the character described in combination, a machineframe, a laterally-movable carriage, a manually operable platen, asecond platen mounted within said carriage, mechanical means forrotating said second platen, said mechanical means being mounted uponthe movable carriage, said mechanical means comprising a substantiallyrectangular frame mounted upon said movable carriage and having onemember comprising a bar Whose advancing end is tapered, and the drivingmember mounted upon the machine frame and capable of operating saidmechanical means when the laterally-movable carriage is Within apredetermined zone of its travel.

3. In a machine of the class described in combination, a rotatableplaten being wholly under manual control to rotate same, a secondaryplaten, manual means for turning said secondary platen, a transverselymovable carriage for supporting said platens, a rod extending parallelto the movement of said carriage, an oscillating frame carrying saidrod, a line-space device for said secondary platen operatively connectedwith said rod, and driving means capable of cooperation With'said rodwhen the carriage is m a predetermined zone of its travel to operatesaid rod thereby actuating said linespace devices.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses, this 23d day of December, 1911.

one THIEME.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, LILY RosT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommisaioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

